Glendronach 15 Year Old Revival Sherry Cask

The GlenDronach is hailed by many is one of the best malts this Speyside distillery has brought to the market. The fact that some releases contain much older whisky – because of depleted stocks of 15 year old malt, imagine that! – it is also very coveted. I tried it before, but gladly try it again, this time a Revival from 2015.

Yes, the nose is sherried wonderfully on balsamico, raisins, walnuts, but also sports some sulphur. I am reminded of new sneakers and even some washing powder. And while this could have easily gone towards an off-note, it does not. It works hand-in-glove with the sweetness that appears immediately after: dades, maple syrup and caramel. After breathing for a while, some chocolate with praline filling arrives, as does some Arabica coffee and mokantine. I’m sold.

It is quite oily and fills the mouth with loads of sherry notes: raisins, figs, dades, but also nutmeg and cloves. Lots of cloves! The sweetness from the nose returns in full force on the palate, upholstered with a touch of rubber that luckily does not go over the top. It flirts with that border though, which makes it intriguing.

The finish is medium long and shows some green herbs at the death.

The Revival – launched way back when Billy Walker gave the distillery a second lease on life – is a top notch whisky. Thanks for the sample, Jeroen!

The title is the bottling date, and the bottle number is LJ30017.

This bottle has been opened for more than 5 months. Very chewy and tannic at first, after about a week or two to settle down, it has became a charming whisky dessert.

Nose: Strong sherry notes, orange, dark chocolate, toffee and brown sugar.

Taste: Full body. Fruity and sweet, cream brulee, coffee, chocolate, sherry oak, plums, meat and apple tart.

Finish: Long and chewy, with some tannin on the tongue. Nuts, blackberries, black pepper and fig.

Balance: Very intense and concentrated, sherry and fruit notes dominates the flavor and fallows by some bitterness of chocolate and tannin of wine.

Serge Valentine said it's like older Macallan 18 yo, since I haven't tried any Macallan 18 yo before so I can't compare those two. I am not a big fan of sherry whisky, but I have still got to admit this is very good.

The flavors of this bottle seems to keep fading after opened for two or three months, and became soft and less fruity. Probably makes it from a 90 pts whisky to an 85 pts whisky for me. The score that I give in this review is based on its best performance and I slightly deduct some points due to its low endurance.

PS: Some said this is older than what it says on the label.

wordsofwhisky.com/glendronach-is-a-lot-olde…

Last weekend I had the pleasure of tasting this again for the 1st time in almost two years… and oh my, I had forgotten just how much of a home run this malt is.

Plenty has been said about this whisky – the ‘Revival’ truly is the high-class sherry wonder that it is made out to be. So ridiculously smooth… it offers wave after wave of sherry goodness with toffee, chocolate orange, dates, raisin & coffee-bean nuttiness - all swirling around a subtle, spicy wood centre…

This is most certainly no one-dimensional sherry bomb. Contained herein is far more depth & character than ANYthing I’ve encountered at this price point. It is layered and complex. There are both meaty, savory notes AND sweet, fruity sherry flavours present in equal measure. Like some hâute-cuisine oriental dish based on fish-sauce, spices and caramel sweetness, this is a Scotch that satisfies each and every part of the taste and olfactory sense.

Make no mistake, getting this kind of depth and flavor requires not only very good ex-Oloroso casks - but intensive, expert cask management. I have NO idea how GlenDronach manage to supply this kind of quality without operating on a loss in today’s market.
I’d go so far as to say that this is quite simply THE best value Scotch of the last 6 years.

Consider the following: GlenDronach distillery was mothballed in early 1996, and there is no known stock from between late 1995 and 2002, when it was reopened. That means a bottle of 15yo Revival you purchased this past year is pretty much all of 20 years old, at the very least. If I got hold of a 20yo ex-Oloroso single malt cask containing this kind of quality tomorrow, slapped a sexy label on it and put a big fat ’20 YEARS OLD’ on the front then I’d be selling it for 200 bucks a pop, easy.

The GlenDronach 15yo Revival is as complex, smooth and mouth-wateringly good as the older Macallan 18’s (early 90’s vintages). The difference between these two malts here in Europe is a cool €240 / 290$ US.

You can keep your Aberlours, Macallans and Karuizawas - I'll be drinking my stash of Glen-D 15 for the foreseeable future, thanks very much!

Glendronach - 15yr Revival

46% ABV

Snifter, splash of water, bottle just opened

A very sweet very inviting nose leads to a strong up-front sherry/raisin-flavored body, that finishes with a uniquely long-lasting woody finish with a very nice tingly mouthfeel, which leaves behind it a chocolate aftertaste.

The nose on this whisky is a new favorite of mine. The main theme here is sherry and raisins with subtle chocolate, toffee, and wood notes.

Nose-24: Strong raisins, sherry, brown sugar, subtle milk-chocolate, honey

Body-: Thick, syrupy

Palate-21: Strong sherry and raisins, barley, toffee

Finish-22: Long warming tingly oak, sherry, raisins, and molasses. Quite some time after the sip, some cocoa notes linger.

Balance-23: Take your time with this scotch. Everything seems to last just a little bit longer to develop. Just let the flavors happen...

Overall-90: Overall, this scotch is a new favorite. Typically, the Islays appeal to me most, but I like this one for completely different reasons.

Haven’t had this in a while. The Revival is known to fall victim to sulfur taint sometimes, which is what happened to my last bottle. It’s a shame, actually. I really liked it when it was popped, but a rubber flavour set in after a month and seemed to get worse with time. The whisky that I loved at first became undrinkable; I believe I killed the bottle in mixed drinks. But obviously that’s not every bottle. Time to come back to it.

Nose: Layered, with very big sherry. Raisins, figs, oranges, cinnamon, chocolate, plums, roasted pecans, leather. Serious depth here.

Palate: Creamy texture and a medium body. There’s cream, raisins, figs, dates, chocolate, cinnamon, plum, apple vinegar, and red apple skin.

Finish: Quite long and richly layered. Cream, vanilla, sherry, raisins, leather, roasted nuts, charcoal, red apple skin, fruit tobacco.

Thoughts: Not hard to see why this is so popular. GlenDronach doesn’t do superficial sherry; they go for the deep, rich, layered stuff. The richness here works nicely with its medium body and creamy profile. That being said, I prefer the likes of the Cask Strength, the Platinum, and the Octarine, but I can see why this one is basically the ‘flagship’ for the brand. A straight-forward quality sherry with good bang-for-buck, you can’t go wrong. Well… unless it’s sulfur tainted.

OK, so here's the thing. This is a bottle I've had my eye on for a while. It is from GlenDronach who are owned by BenRiach. The distillery was mothballed from 1996 - 2001. My bottle is dated 2014/12/01. Legally the Whisky has to be at least 15 years old to be labelled 15 yrs. So, by my reckoning my bottle is older than 15 years. In fact, it has to be 18 yrs but labelled as 15. Is this correct? I assume so which then begs the question as to why it wasn't bottled as an 18.

Bottled exclusively in Spanish Oloroso sherry casks the colour is dark amber. Good legs.

The nose is thick, sweet, sherry, creamy, oak, demerara, dark chocolate, plums, figs. Wow, it's a nose to breathe in.

The palate offers sherry, leather, oak, chocolate oranges, coffee notes linger. Bursting with dark fruits, figs, plums, dates.

The finish is warm, spicy, sherried fruits that go one and on

There are so many whisky awards that it dilutes the value but this was TWE of the year 2015. I agree, it is a cracker. Buy a bottle right now!

I'll add more details to the review as I am sure this whisky will reveal some other characteristics over time. But for now..I've tasted it 3 times and here's what I think of it:

SMELL: the initial smell is thick, dense caramel, then come hints of toffee, coffee and menthol. With a drop of water it mellows down and the caramel gets even more prominent. There are also aromas of milk chocolate, latte, Crème brûlée, orange zest, rich strawberry marmalade!

TASTE: starts off dry, exploding into nutty cake-like sherry sweetness which eventually subsides leaving behind some sour cherry notes, cola;

FINISH: long and comforting; there is something in there that reminds me of Lindt dark chocolate with chili;

CONCLUSION: WoW!! Maybe I am not spoiled enough to judge, but for me - this whisky is THE BEST sherried whisky I have tried so far. Taking into consideration that it is not chill-filtered and natural color ...WOW! Unique!

This 15 year old Glendronach marks the release of whisky under new distillery ownership. Matured in Oloroso sherry casks, this was awarded a Silver Medal at the 2009 Malt Maniacs Awards.

Glendronach 15 year old Revival is an exceptional whisky. The best sherry whisky, I've tried so far. A 90 point score, from a guy who usually doesn't go for the sherry finish!

This one is greatly in balance, managing to bring the sherry nicely and smoothly, with a rich palate. A reincarnation of something great, like Nouvelle Vague by Jean-Luc Godard. Godard's film being a bit more harder to understand...

Glendronach 15 yrs Revival is complex, yet easy to drink. The smoothness makes it that way.

Nose: First some sherry with hints of rubber on the side. Becomes malty with citrus and dried fruits feel. Great toffee comes with water.

Taste: Full and thick dram: toffee and malt dominate with nuts and sherry in the background. Some dryness as well: dark chocolate and dried fruits.

Finish: Spicy and oaky, dry and warming. Aftertaste brings sweet and fruity notes.

Balance: Very rich and full. Great sherry whisky.

For some reason it took me a while to get into GlenDronach; I was not disappointed when the time finally came.

Nose: After clearing some initial vapors (sneakers, hay-like walnut oil, varnish): Rich melted chocolate, coconut oil, and some walnut. The next slow breath added raisin and vanilla. Finally, the milk chocolate, raisin, vanilla, walnut all seem to blend together. There is only one small deviation from this fudgy delight… celery? Yes, celery root, light enough to not detract from the rest of the aromas.

Palate: Enters with sweet honey, slightly tangy raisin, and then tannic (nutmeg-y) cocoa. Held in the mouth, the tannins pass to walnut with supporting oak spice/hazelnut on the tongue. Then a raisiny impression comes from back, seeming thick and still with vanilla-walnut. (I only sense the nose’s celery if I really look for it.)

Finish: Sensation of cocoa raisin sustains, together with vanilla in the throat, and the tongue has some drying from tannic walnut.

Wow, I really love this; what a delight for a reasonable price! In terms of value and quality, this is a contender to the Glenfarclas 15. A reserved oxidized sample has, once again, picked up grassier notes after a couple weeks; so I will be taking special care of my bottle.

It’s not very similar to the GlenDronach 12yo, being less vegetal hay and more raisin cocoa. It’s less spicy (ginger/clove) than the 18yo, or the 21yo for that matter. The 15yo has a “thicker” feeling to it, if less spice-influenced sophistication. I think it’s a toss-up with the 21yo; I just want to keep drinking the 15yo, but the 21yo will suit more contemplative times.

I thought it made sense to compare this to the Glenfarclas 15 and the Glenmorangie Signet, so I also tasted these head-to-head. Both of these have elements of milk chocolate, oak, and nuts; and I consider all three to have similar high intrinsic quality.

The Glenfarclas 15 might be the closest of the Farclases I know (10/12/15/21/25/30/40), and it might sound logical to compare two 15-year-olds— but in fact these are very different malts. Drunk side-by-side, the Glenfarclas 15 seems much more serious, the GlenDronach sweeter. The Glenfarclas seems like salty nougat (cashew/walnut) with leathery bran. Meanwhile, the GlenDronach’s sweet coconut-oil seems more obvious, and its nutty quality seems more like hazelnut rather than walnut, since the Glenfarclas 15 has such a strong walnut quality.

The Signet is actually closer to this GlenDronach, relative to the Glenfarclas 15-- but of course the Signet is still significantly different. Both have milk chocolate, but the Signet is certainly oakier (much more nutmeg) and also has more elements of coffee and vanilla. (The Signet also has an even thicker mouthfeel.) Meanwhile, the GlenDronach is clearly nuttier and adds the touch of raisin.

In any case, this GlenDronach is in good company.

Glendronach seem to have a cult following. I follow their page on Facebook and can see the intensity and the passion that the fans have for it. And I think that's fair. It is a wonderful distillery with some very special releases. Their single casks are a stuff of legend, though, feel that their core range could do with a bit of a lift.

This 15 year old sherry bomb has quite a reputation and even before I started writing anything about it I posted a pic of it on the Malt Maniacs Facebook page. The response was immediate and quite flattering.

But do I think this one is the stuff of legends? Well,not really.

Nose: I think I can sniff out the Oloroso Sherry cask from a mile away. It is so strong and meaty that there can be no doubt. Once the black salts fade away you are greeted with a black pepper rum and fudge cake liberally sprinkled with chopped pistachios and cardamom seeds. Oxidization brings out red wine tannins and black raisins. I think the Oloroso overpowers and doesn't let the malt speak.

Palate: Chocolate and mocha form the base of this delivery. They are then layered with black peppercorns, cinnamon and cardamom pods. Once again quite thick and chewy with the Oloroso.

Finish: Creamy long with cinnamon.

I like this whisky but I think the sherry is far too overbearing in all aspects. I would have liked to see a more measured sherry finish because I feel the base malt is quite good. But maybe that's what the people want. And I've seen enough fans to prove that.

Oh well...

A great nose (caramel, cocoa and orange) is a perfect start to a thick malty delivery. So much going on here sweet and salty at the same time. A thick chewy malt is surrounded by influences of raisins, toffee and mocha. There's that orangey marmalade sweetness again. A nice long malty sweet finish to boot. Very nice, Slainte Mhath!

This is interesting stuff.... great aromas of coconut, rum, raisins, tobacco, limes and barley..... take your time with this, leave the bottle open for an hour then pour and leave the glass for a while

This really opens up with water, better than any other whisky I can remember. And wow what a difference, reminds me of Highland Park 25yo.. lush, complex fruit, spice, syrup, floral like a classy french perfume.

On the palate it's a dry fruity arrival followed by a blend of rum raisin, sap, parchment, coconut, old oak, water melon with a floral sweet and tobacco finish. Definitely some older whisky in there....

I'll try this next with a nice cigar over Christmas and will buy a bottle of the cask strength for sure.

This was a very anticipated bottling considering the wide array of praise it got from the whisky community, and not only sherryfans it seemed. This is no doubt hinting to the overall quality of this malt, but it was also hinted that older (or even way older) whisky was used in this, i can say after having sampled it, that the rumors appear to be correct.

Glendronach is on the eastern border of the Speyside region. It was mothballed in '96 before re-opening shop around '02, this bottling here is their way of paying tribute to the succesfull new ownership under Benriach (which is a malt i will try to sample soon, considering their sherry oloroso and PX bottlings).

The Revival is then a tribute malt, and without reciting more history, since i only wanted to sum up the recent part of it.

Nose: Sherry and very big, but sophisticated, nutiness! All kinds of nuts but the ones i can really point out are probably hazelnuts (first) then almonds and maybe some roasted.. pecan nuts maybe? Toffee and sweet cacao completes the nutiness on the nose very nicely. More bittersweet sherry with sultanas caps off the nose. A very soft, delicate and sophisticated nose this!

Palate: Wonderfull measured sherry arrival! Chewy bittersweet oak (good age) with caramelized or sugared barley. Salted raisins (Bunna-style), slight leather, nutmeg, oranges and some dark-chocolate dipped strawberries. This is a laid-back malt that would be as good an ambassador as any for sherried scotch or scotch in general for that matter, i can really fathom and comprehend the praise it has recieved.

Finish: Delightfull bittersweet wood tannins, with a minty note (spear mint?) and a very well composed malty final straight with a bit of oranges and vanilla.

Glorious old-school sherried scotch, but not only for old-school malt-drinkers, it manages to have a skillful spread of a flavour profile that would satisfy almost any mind that seeks quality.

Not a 100 mile/hour, or 50 or 30 or even 10, this is a mellow, sophisticated senior malt. But an energetic old-timer that keeps you invested in it's story of flavour.

This is a craft presented very affordable 15 y/o whisky from GlenDronach, a distillery who in the last 2 or 3 years have really come to the fore with their age statement range (12-21 year old). Of this range i've only tried the 12 and the 15. This is the 15, makes for great reading, even better tasting.

• Nose: deeper plums, rich dates, prunes, tobacco, some leather, apples and pears are still around (as in the 12) but more restrained, very sherried Christmas cake, cinnamon, ginger and some milk chocolate. With water big time toffee and richness, much more vanilla comes through, some mocha but overall a little less savoury and spice, however it’s beautifully decadent.

• Pallet : sweeter and beefier, then some old wood notes come through leather, tobacco (maybe Montechristo tobacco), dare I say smoke! Overripe fruits, nice spices to break things up, burnt caramel. There is some alcoholic nip however. With water smoother, more ginger, chocolatey, vanilla, much richer again still some lovely tobacco earthiness as well.

• Finish: creamy sherry, lovely smooth finish, armchair leather hangs around, fades into really gentle spices and some wood tannins. With water lighter caramel on the finish, balance tips to being more sweet than savoury, slowly but surely the ginger and mocha notes emerge though. Great length.

• Mark neat – 8.4, with water 9.1

PHEW!!! that alot of writing for one night, i might need another dram! and what a shame..... Seriously though this is a brilliant whisky, absolutley perfect for me, its well made, great tasting, complex, individual, very affordable, i haven't had the Adunndah for a while, but i think this gives it a good run for its money.

It's been awhile since I've tried Aberlour A'Bunadh, but this is the only whisky I've ever tried that gives it a serious run for its money. It's not cask strength, but goddamn, it's one hell of a sweet and succulent sherry monster. It's drawn from first fill sherry casks for sure, and it's one of the best mass-produced heavily sherried whiskies I've ever tried. It's super dark, and that isn't always an indicator of flavor or quality, but there is lots of dark, sweet mocha and vibrant mint-like flavor present here. Without drawing this out, this is essentially like drinking a dessert wine that's over 40% alcohol. It's decadent to the point that having a second glass will give you the same kind of guilt that having a third slice of cake would. What's even more amazing is that I keep seeing this go down in price. I think it's well worth what I paid for it and now I see it going for less. It is without a doubt better than Macallan 18 with retails for almost twice the price and it's as good as Glenfarclas 17 which is still more expensive. It's primarily a sherried whisky, but there is some more to it. There's some tea in the nose and some great ripe herbal notes in the taste alongside with a meaty body with just a hint of smokiness in the finish. I wouldn't normally encourage a distillery to do this as it would just end up hurting my pocket, but I think they could easily charge for for this than they are charging now. It's an absolutely fantastic monstrously sherried whisky and I hope it stays this way. Excellent job Glendronach, and I look forward to trying your other offerings!

After trying the 12yo as an introduction I was eager to try the Revival. I was reading really good stuff about this bottle and so the expectations were quite high.

On the nose I am getting lots of sweetness, caramel and wine gums. Compared to the 12yo it is darker (but not sweeter) in color and nose. There is dark chocolate, ripe oranges, wild honey and even eucalyptus. A complex profile, everything is really round and nicely integrated. It is a strong and dense aroma, like a very sweet and complex fog of stewed oranges and lots of other ingredients.

It has an intense attack but nonetheless is really soft. The full body is quite chewy. On the palate is caramel, honey, some spices like ginger and even some saltiness. There is also a nutty bitter-sweetness.

The finish is dry, long and sweet. There are some oaky spices and oranges.

Overall a darker version of the 12yo. Again a nice value for money.

This whisky is essential to any sherry lover's cabinet. It's got such a wonderful body and such rich complexity that I would recommend this were it twice the price. Luckily for us, it isn't. This whisky is very affordable and very good. I read a lot of reviews before I invest in a bottle, and I sometimes come up disappointed. This one lives up to the fantastic reviews it gets.

Nose: Orange chocolate for days. Mild spices and rich fruits. Complex.

Palatte: A ton of raisins and/or dates. Figs. I almost taste twigs. Not a wooden flavour, but earthy and, yeah, kind of twiggy (I might be wrong there). A strong sherried body with a lot of areas to explore. More citrus. Not lemon, orange. A bit of a rubber in there, but not too chemical. Some toffee comes up and smoothly pulls you into the finish.

Finish: Orange, mild spice, with the strong, dry sherry flavours still dancing about. The tannin is there, but its not aggressive. This whisky doesn't fade gently, instead it retains a lot of its core flavours from start to finish.

What a great dram. I would buy this even if I were a millionaire collector of fine, exotic, aged whiskies. It's got all the elements you want from a sherried whisky. There's a full, dynamic, rich body without any harshness. This whisky is big, bold, and beautiful without being too rough around the edges. Remarkably smooth given its bold presence. And once again, it's affordable! You won't be disappointed. You can trust the reviews on this one.

Tonight when I got home from work, I'm tired, I'm sore and I decided that I needed a nice dram to take the edge off, to absorb me into the world of whisky.

Fortuitously I have a steady supply of such whiskies, thanks to my wife and Master of Malt.

Tonight I went, yet again, for a distillery that I'd never tried before, which is the way I like it, something new, something different.

See the thing about me and whisky is that I treat old favorites like an old friend where you both know one anothers tall tales, you know about the one that got away.

You enjoy one another, you know where your stories are going to go and you go together like peanut butter and jelly.

You can also be a little bit too predictable.

This is why, at least for me, that variety is the spice of life. I'm always looking for the next new whisky to become one of my new old friends.

Tonight I was introducing myself to GlenDronach 15 Year Old Revival Sherry Cask.

Aged for 15 years in Oloroso Sherry casks for 15 years this whisky pours a lovely deep dark golden color that just makes me smile.

It's a typical sherry nose, dark fruits like raisins, toffee, chocolate, hints of vanilla and smoke (which is interesting!), quite an earthy feeling nose. Underneath it all is a faint aroma that is rubbery and the only low point in the aroma.

Time for a taste though!

Again it follows like a nice typical sherry bomb!

Raisins, toffee, chocolate, burnt coffee, wow some nice nutty flavors there along with some spices.

Mmmmm quite enjoyable.

The finish is long, dry and spicy with the burnt coffee and chocolate shouting out.

A very enjoyable and solid sherry bomb style whisky, a whisky that tastes more intense then the 46% abv that sits at, which makes me happy, it's more intense, but not in a bad way.

This is one of those whiskies that I'd totally go to when I wanted to introduce someone who's never experienced a really nice sherry whisky before, right before I move them to the Aberlour Abunadhs.

I've sadly yet to see this whisky for sell in Australia, but I'm willing to guess that this bad boy would be running close to $100 AUS if you could find it, which is a pretty damn good deal. Mind you at that price I'd still go with Aberlour Abunadh instead, but if I wanted something a little less intense I'd be heading straight here.

Color: Deep Amber

Nose: Sherry, Buttery Toffee, Sweet Caramel

Palate: Sherry, Sweet Black forest cake, Maple syrup, toffee, sweet roasted nutty flavors

Finish: long lingering

I really love this expression of GlenDronach. ITs got big flavors, complexity, and that lingering finish. one of the best sherried scotches i've had. After a week or two somehow this whisky got more complex and opened up so much,,, too hard for me to describe what all is going on in the palate, but it has become more complex. Bottle is now half empty, and will be sipping this nice and slowly.

On one hand, this is a heavier version of the GlenDronach 12 yo Original. On the other, it's much more than that. A bigger, gutsier whisky than the 12 yo, its layers are also more clearly defined and prominent. I mentioned in my previous review that the 12 yo was a good summertime whisky. This one is a winter warmer (although it tastes great on this 90-degree August day as well!).

Nose: I detect some of the same elements as the 12 yo, albeit much earthier and bolder. The sherry and vanilla have become one, while a touch of barbeque smoke and spice hang around on the sidelines.

Arrival: Unlike the 12 yo, this one really announces itself immediately. Again, sherry and vanilla dominate.

Development: Gets spicier and meatier in a hurry, although previous tastes linger -- this one doesn't change so much as it keeps adding layers. Wood and smoke slathered with honey and Worcestershire sauce.

Finish: Fairly long, with the increased dryness and spiciness providing a good balance to the sweetness that came before.

In all, this whisky was a case of love at first dram. I also rate it a bit higher than the 12 yo owing to no coloring, no chill filtering, and its 46% ABV. There are a few whiskies I may prefer to this, but it's definitely in my top five. For what it is, I find little room for improvement.

This single malt has been part of GlenDronach's core range since it was launched in 2009 by the distillery's new, independent owners. It replaced the 15yo that was available in the 1990ies.

The nose is wonderfully sherried, with dark fruits such as raisins and figs, also chocolate, toffee and last but not least lots of rubber (in a good way but very distinct nevertheless).

The palate is full-bodied, rich and smooth - this is nice! Again there is coffee and some rubber. A certain spiciness prevails at the end of the tongue.

The finish is medium long and dry.

This is an excellent single malt, mostly thanks to the mighty palate and the sherried nose which, however, is a bit tainted by the distinct rubber influence.

This one is pleasant, with obvious sherry influence. Has quite good balance. Adding water reveals more aroma and fruits.

Nose: apple pie, raisins, bit of smoke and rubber Palate: varnish, fruits, sweet malt, honey Finish: dark chocolate, sherry, some bitterness

This 15 Year Old GlenDronach 'Revival' (batch 2010) is a classic in the GlenDronach range, so no wood finish. It was matured on oloroso sherry casks. ‘Revival’ refers to the… err… revival of the distillery in 2008, when it was procured by BenRiach, with Billy Walker as the frontman.

The nose has all the features of ‘full sherry’: raisins, walnuts, espresso, balsamico and even a trace of smoke. But the whole is somewhat overshadowed by a touch of rubber, like new gym shoes kids take to their first school day.

On the palate, it’s quite mouthcoating with again the sherry traits as absolute ruler: raisins, figs, prunes, dark chocolate and cloves. Quite a bit of cinnamon and Italian coffee. Of the sulphur, thank the Maker, no trace.

The finish is nice and long and pretty spicy.

Apart from that sulphury touch on the nose, this is a beautiful, heavily sherried whisky.

I bought this bottle to my friend for its birthday. I knew that he would like to cracked it open the same night so we can taste it together and I didn't get disappointed. We took one third of the bottled out that night. I bought it without having ever tasted a GlenDronach. The Olorroso sherry matured 15 years old made be believe that it would look like the HP18, which I really like.

Nose: Quite complex with nutty notes, spices, rubber, toffee and vanilla. The rubber makes it a bit odd, but the complexity makes it very enjoyable.

Mouth: The nuts, spices and toffee follows with some coffee and chocolate notes.

Finale: medium to long. shorter than I expected.

The whisky is good, but it is far from the sherry monster branding of HP18. It is very complex on the nose, which is cool, but the finale is a bit disappointing.

I am a huge sherry fan. I like big, powerful, sherried whiskies. However, I'm not always in the mood for a cask strength whisky. I was turned on to Glendronach 15yr Revival as being highly rated and one that fit my favorite flavor profile. This is my first Glendronach.

Glendronach 15yr Revival is bottled at 46% ABV, and is a nice copper color.

Nose: Lots of sherry, but a bit wine-like. This reminds me of the Aberlour 15yr Sherry Finish. Chocolate covered strawberries. But, sweeter than that. Maybe Maraschino cherries in a liquid center covered in light chocolate. A bit "too" sweet for my nose. But there is something darker in there. I'm not sure if smoke is the right word, but definitely a strong malty note.

Palate: Warming in the mouth. Semi-sweet on the tongue. Dark, bitter chocolate. Some burnt toffee.

Finish: More maraschino cherries on the finish. Long finish.

Very good. Perhaps too sweet for my taste. Wow. This is really delicious. I might need something salty to go with this whisky. Obviously the balance isn't the best on this whisky, as it needs something else to round it out. However, it IS delicious, and if you have a sweeter tooth than me, this whisky is for YOU!

Nose: There certainly are sulphurous notes in this bottling. The first thing I get are mushrooms, a dirt bin and some rubber. Now this is personal, some people like it, others don’t. I have difficulties with it, but let’s move on. Very clear oloroso sherry influence as well: raisins, balsamico vinegar, coffee, mint… Slightly herbal. Subtle smoke as well. Mouth: good mouthfeel. The sherry continues with raisins, dark chocolate, figs, prunes and (slightly bitter) coffee notes. Still a bit dirty if you ask me. Finish: spicier on cloves. Quite long.

The “Revival” expression marks the renaissance—literally—of the GlenDronach distillery. A Speyside distillery, GlenDronach was “mothballed” in 2000, but resumed production in 2002. Ownership changed hands from the Chivas Brothers arm of Pernod Ricard (having acquired Allied Domecq, having acquired William Teacher and Sons, the previous “proper” buyers of GlenDronach) to BenRiach, the current owners, in 2008. Ingeniously, Master Distiller Billy Walker and his BenRiach colleagues decided to expand the GlenDronach range beyond the commonplace 12 year-old and the uncommon 33 year-old expressions with this, their first release under new ownership.

The Revival has garnered many awards and much praise from folks of no less expertise and enthusiasm for the dram than that venerable Maniac, Serge Valentin, who gave it 92 points and referred to it as an “adorable whisky”. (I absolutely love that!) Nonetheless, I’m inclined in this case to disagree somewhat with the common assessment.

The Revival has been matured for 15 years in Oloroso sherry casks, and it shows: the colour is an extraordinary shade of caramel, one stewed until it was on the verge of burning. The sherry notes on the nose and palate are equally unmissable. Less obvious, but perhaps more intriguing, are the other elements of the nose: burnt caramel (much like the colour) and cherry cough syrup co-mingle with coffee, honey, marshmallow, plums, and melon. As @galg noted in his review, there is balsamic here, too, but an aged (or heavily reduced) one. This is a sumptuous, jammy nose.

The palate is where things go awry. Again, you get strikingly sweet sherry at the fore, but as notes of dark chocolate, salt-water taffy, and orange marmalade appear, it changes utterly to a tarry, persistent sourness that carries through the finish. A healthy finish is a treat, but only so long as one enjoys the lingering flavours. With the Revival, I’m not so pleased with what’s left coating my tongue.

It’s nice that the Revival has been bottled at 46% ABV, as it’s a richer dram for it. It’s smooth, but with a touch of that lovely Speyside spiciness. And while the body doesn’t impress the eye, seeming to coat the glass only thinly, it does have a redeeming mouthfeel.

This is an interesting whisky, and one to be proud of for many things. The nose alone is wondrous. However, the predominating sourness on the palate seems to me a real blight on the Revival’s character. And so it goes...

Nose: On first whiff I got some Vinegar (balsamic) notes which were weird to me. On second whiff, the Sherried elements rise : Raisins, Prunes, Hints of Chocolate and toffee. All very appetizing, besides the vinegar notes. Oliver from the whisky rating blog, explains this as acetaldehyde which is not uncommon in heavily sherried malts.

Palate: Quite a thick and viscous body. Lovely mélange of Coffee, Dark chocolate, dried fruit (as the nose suggests) and treacle. Some spice as well. Very very good sherried profile. After I tool a few sips, I couldn’t resist and filled an extra portion form my sample into the glass. I couldn’t stop. Harmonious stuff!

Finish: Medium-Long, dominated by Espresso, and dark chocolate, with a hint of spice.

nose:clean no sulphur at all off to a good start,treacle toffee,raisins,prunes,little smoke and spice,mint,lovely rich sherry notes,lots going on. Palate:in keeping with the nose doesnt let you down chewy,rich,smooth, moreish, perfectly balanced. Finish:very long warm,creme de cassis taste,again morish.Fantastic sherried whisky at a very good price